Alexandra Mashkina, Associate at Orion, shared her expert opinion with Pravo.ru on the opportunities offered by the Mauritius jurisdiction for Russian companies in the new economic reality.

Mauritius is officially considered a friendly country; it did not support sanctions against Russia and is open to serving Russian clients. Mauritius' financial and tax regulators take a neutral position: they do not make clear distinctions based on passport but conduct in-depth checks for money laundering and links to public officials.

"Following the tightening of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing rules in 2020, there has been an increased focus on due diligence, particularly with regard to founders and ultimate beneficial owners. If a company has a Russian beneficiary, it often falls into the high-risk category, which entails in-depth compliance checks, including disclosure of the source of funds and ownership structure," says Alexandra.

"Mauritius is a regulated jurisdiction, not a classic offshore. It works well with holding structures and trusts. Political neutrality, the ability to work in independent currencies, and flexibility make it attractive for business structuring," comments Alexandra.

The full version of the publication can be found at the link.